Desk construction



Aug. 5, 1958 R. WRIGHT Q 2,846,285

DESK CONSTRUCTION Filed March 31, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Russel.

48- 1958 R. WRIGHT masx conswaucnou 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 31, 1955 INVENTOR. Kass k/R/Gl/T 4 r Tara's).

United States Patent DESK CONSTRUCTION Russel Wright, New York,-N. Y., assignor to Shwayder Brothers, Ecorse, Mich., a corporation of Colorado Application March 31, 1955, Serial No. 498,244 2 Claims. (Cl. 312 -25) This invention relates to desk constructions, and more particularly to a novel s'chool'desk.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a school desk which incorporates a tubular frame construction and a top platform mounted thereover in conjunction with a storage compartment thereunder.

It is the further object'of the present invention to provide a storage compartment in the nature of an open tray.

It is the further object of the present invention to provide a storage compartment beneath a permanent desk top which'is open at its front end.

It 'is the still further object of the present invention to provide a closed storage compartment in conjunction with a desk topwhich is hingedly mounted thereover.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective viewof one form of' desk construction.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front perspective view with a slightly different form of desk construction.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front perspective view of still another form' of desk construction.

Fig.4 is a transverse section of the upper portion of the desk'shown in Fig. 3 on a slightly enlarged scale.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the upper portionof the desk shown in Fig. 2, but on a slightly enlarged scale; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary'transverse section of the upper portion of the desk construction shown in Fig. 1.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely several preferred embodiments of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, the frame work for the three types of desk, shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is identical and accordingly only the frame work for the desk shown in Fig. 1 is described herein.

Said frame consists of a pair of tubular upright inverted U-shaped support elements 11 and 12, each of which includes the downwardly and outwardly extending front leg 13 and rear leg 14. Said legs at their lower ends terminate in the tubular tapered fittings 15 which receive the universally mounted supporting feet 16.

The leg elements 11 and 12 include at their upper ends the horizontally disposed bights 17 over which the desk top is secured in the manner hereafter described.

Reinforcing cross braces 18 and 19 are interposed between front legs 13 and rear legs 14, respectively, adjacent their upper ends and are secured to interior surface portions of the said legs as at point 20, Fig. 1.

The intermediate portions of the said four legs are reinforced by the U-shaped reinforcing element 21 which includes free end portion 22 secured at its outer end to a rear portion of front leg 13 as at 23. Element 22 is curved at 24 at its rear portion terminating in the horizontal cross brace 26, said curved portion being secured to one of the rear legs 14 as at 25, by welding for illus- 2,846,285 Patented-"Aug 5, l 958 interior surface portion of leg 13 and is secured thereto as at point 30, by welding for illustration.

The curved portion 27 is secured to an interior surface portion of rear leg14-asat point 28, to thereby complete a rigid and effective supporting structure for the desk.

This supporting structure is'the same in all of the three desks shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Referring to Fig. 4 which corresponds to the desk of Fig. 3, there is provided a generally rectangularly shaped preferably wooden desk top 31 whose respective corners are slightly rounded as at 32. The top surface of the desk top terminates at its periphery in the upright wall element 33 which extends completely around the desk top. This upright element terminates in the downwardly and inwardly inclined beveled edge element 34 which also extends around the top to thereby complete the desk top construction.

The desk top31 of Figs. 3'and 4 is centrally positioned across the bights 17 and is slightly spaced thereabove by the flexible or metallic spacers or washers 35 and is firmly and effectively secured thereto by the upright screws 36. These screws extend upwardly through the bights 17 and operatively into the body of thedesk top 31 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4.

In this illustration there is provided an open tray construction generally indicated 'at 37 which includes a flat rearwardly and downwardly extending bottom wall 38. The front end thereof is longitudinallycurved forwardly and downwardly at 39 and is adapted to cooperatively and'retainingly extend around the front cross brace 18. Dust openings 10 are formed at'the rear of wall' 38.

At the opposite end ofbottom wall 38 the said will terminates in the upwardly and rearwardlyextending rear wall 40 which terminates in the h'orizontally'disposed semi-circularly shaped flange 41 which is nested over'the rear cross brace 19 and secured thereto'throughout its length by a series of spaced fasteners 42. The tray 37 is completed by the triangularly shaped elongated side walls 43, with outturned beads 43' at their top edges.

The desk shown in Figs. 2 and 5 includes a slightly different form of storage compartment or tray generally indicated at 44. Said tray includes the fiat substantially horizontal bottom wall 45 which is rearwardly inclined slightly. Said wall towards its front longitudinal edge is provided with a depressed elongated transverse head 46 which is spaced from the rear upper portion of cross brace 18. The bottom wall portion 45 forwardly of said bead terminates in the rolled outwardly curved portion at 47.

Bottom wall 45 at its rear end terminates in the upwardly extending slightly inclined rear wall 48 which terminates at its upper end in the horizontally disposed flange 49 which is arranged transversely of the depth of said storage compartment and is secured to the under surface of the desk top 51 at spaced points as by the fasteners or screws 50.

The horizontally disposed desk top 51 is exactly the same as desk top 31 of Fig. 4 and is not further described. Said desk top, however, is centrally positioned so as to bridge the bights 17 of the leg elements 11 and 12 and rests upon the spacers or metallic Washers 52 as shown in Fig. 5, and is effectively and firmly secured to said bights by the upwardly extending screws 53. The storage compartment 44 also includes the upright side wall portions 54 which are outwardly flanged at their upper ends for securing to top 51 by additional fasteners 50. The side walls also terminate at the forward ends in the outwardly curved wall elements 55. These wall ele-' ments 55 in cooperation with downwardly curved bottom wall element 47 define the rectangularly shaped inlet opening 56 providing access to the storage compartment 44. Dust openings 9 are also formed in wall 45.

Figs. 1 and 6 show a slightly different form of storage compartment generally designated at 57 and which includes the flat rearwardly and downwardly extending bottom wall 58 which terminates at its forward end in the upwardly extending front wall 59, whose upper end terminates in the continuous rolled heading 6%. The bottom wall also terminates in the upwardly extending side walls 61 and the upwardly and rearwardly extending rear wall 62. ,These walls also at their upper ends terminate in the continuous beading 60. The entire top of storage container 57 is open as indicated at 63 in Fig. 1 and the beading 60 at the front portion of the desk is slightly flattened and projected slightly downwardly as at 64 to thereby provide a clearance between the under surface of the desk top 65 to prevent pinching of a childs hands. Dust openings 8 are also formed in wall 58 of box 57. r

The desk top 65 is again exactly the same in construction as the desk top 31 of Fig. 4. Said desk top is centrally juxtaposed over the support elements 11 and 12 which it bridges and rests upon the top surfaces of the bights 17. Outwardly projecting flanges 66 at the upper ends of side walls 61 rest upon bights 17 and are secured thereto by fasteners 67, there being suitable spacers 68.

Desk top 65 is hingedly connected to storage container 57 along its rear longitudinal edge. This connection includes the upper hinge element 68 which is secured to the desk top by the screws 69 and is swivelly joined as at 70 to the lower hinge element 71 which is bolted as at 72 to the rear wall of said storage container.

There is provided in combination with the desk top 65 a check which is used in conjunction with the said hinge construction to prevent the desk top from accidentally slamming or falling down once it is open.

The said check generally includes the upright hollow rectangularly shaped housing 73 which is secured to and forms a part of hinge plate 71. There is provided a transverse adjusting screw 74 which extends through housing 73 and carries within said housing a pair of laterally spaced preferably leather washers 75.

The check also includes a link 76 which is pivotally connected to the upper hinge element as at 77 and projects down into the open end of check housing 73.

Link 76 is longitudinally slotted to slidably receive the adjusting screw 74. Thewashers are arranged upon opposite sides of said link and the frictional contact between said link and said washers may be adjusted by regulating the screws 74.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the claims which follow for determining the scope thereof.

I claim:

l. A desk comprising a rigid tubular frame consisting of a pair of parallel spaced upright inverted U shaped supports diverging toward their free ends, each support defining a front and rear leg, and including a straight horizontally disposed bight, transverse cross braces interconnecting said front legs and interconnecting said rear legs adjacent their upper ends, and a horizontally disposed U shaped reinforcement arranged towards the lower ends of the legs with the free ends thereof secured to said front legs and intermediate portions secured to said rear legs, respectively, a flat top juxaposed over and supported upon the bights of said supports, and a book box mounted within said frame below said top, said box being open at its top and including upright side walls, said side walls at their upper ends terminating in central outwardly projecting flanges supportably mounted upon the support bights below and engaging said top, and

fasteners extending up through said bights and through said flanges.

2. The desk of claim 1, said top adjacent its rear edge being hingedly joined to the rear of said book box.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 148,956 Rhodes Mar. 9, 1948 D. 168,787 Florian et al. Feb. 10, 1953 827,245 Lippard July 31, 1966 1,791,691 Stevens Feb. 10, 1931 2,140,635 Konarski Dec. 20, 1938 2,547,296 White Apr. 3, 1951 2,579,606 Oom et al Dec. 25, 1951 2,659,649 Kump Nov. 17, 1953 2,671,002 White Mar. 2, 1954 2,719,771 Hoven et al. Oct. 4, 1955 2,752,218 Shea Feb. 26, 1956 2,775,781 Morgan Jan. 1, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 282,681 Switzerland May 15, 1952 

